Spend Your Energy, Time, and Money Without Crashing and Burning This Christmas
Do you ever feel like you are running on empty? It’s an awful feeling. It reminds me of an experience I had travelling on the highway when the gas light suddenly indicated low fuel, but there was no gas station within miles. Thoughts flooded my mind. I hope I can make it to the next gas station. What if I break down? I should have noticed the gas hand earlier. I should have checked the gauge before leaving home. Why didn’t I gas up before leaving? Sound familiar? We all get caught in life’s circumstances sometimes where we ride along assuming we have enough fuel to carry us to our next destination. The truth is we can never assume our tank is sufficiently fueled. The demands of life require us to constantly draw from the reserves of our energy, time, and money. We must check the tanks frequently and make regular fill-ups if we do not want to get caught running on empty.
So, this Christmas give yourself the gift of balance by refueling in all areas of your life. Balance your energy, time, and money. We must ensure to make regular deposits in these areas before our energy is depleted, our schedules too full, and before our bank account is empty. Otherwise, we will crash and burn. Then this wonderful season with its promise of hope, peace, and joy will become tainted with despair, fear, and sadness. No one wants that.
We must operate on the principle of RESERVE if we are to live within the limits of our reservoir! We must also acknowledge that the level of reserve we have is unique to everyone. So never compare your way of living a balanced life with someone else’s way. We each must live within the realm and reality of our own resources. We all do not hold the same amount of energy. Our bank accounts are not equal. While we all get the same twenty-four hours in our day the time constraints and responsibilities per person vary. Some have more, others have less. So, spend your resources accordingly.
Be filled with hope, love, joy and peace this season. I pray that it is indeed a blessed one for you and your family as you spend well on those things that really matter the most.
TIPS FOR SPENDING WELL
1. CONSERVE YOUR ENERGY
Take breaks. Taking regular breaks throughout the day can help you conserve your energy and prevent burnout. Try to take a 5-10 minute break every hour to stretch, walk around, or do something that relaxes you.
Get enough sleep. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep each night to help you feel refreshed and energized throughout the day.
Stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day can help you stay hydrated and prevent fatigue. Aim for at least 8 glasses of water per day.
2 Corinthians 9:8 - And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everthing, you mayn have abundane for every good deed.
2. RESTRICT YOUR TIME
Prioritize your tasks. Make a list of all the tasks you need to complete and prioritize them based on their importance and urgency.
Set boundaries. Learn to say no to requests that don’t align with your goals or values. Set clear boundaries around your time and communicate them to others.
Use time management techniques. For example, break the day into hour blocks and allot tasks to specific times. You can download my time-blocking document for this purpose. You can download my Time-blocking worksheet here
Ecclesiastes 3:6 - A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away...
3. RESERVE YOUR MONEY
Make a budget. Start by listing all your income and expenses, and then allocate your money accordingly. You can use a spreadsheet or a budgeting app to help you get started.
Automate your savings. Set up automatic transfers from your checking account to your savings account each month.
Reduce your expenses. Look for ways to reduce your monthly expenses. For example, you can cut back on eating out, cancel subscriptions you don’t use, or negotiate your bills with service providers.
Luke 12:15 - Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.